New CDC Guidelines Lower Pandemic Spacing Requirements in Schools

School facility managers setting up classroom arrangements and cleaning protocols to help keep students safe may have more leeway with a new spacing recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC has previously said schools should try to maintain at least six feet of distance between children and teens, but on Friday the agency released three studies it says support distancing of  three feet between students instead, as long as everyone is wearing a mask, CNN reports. Another study recently published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found there was no difference in Covid-19 rates between Massachusetts schools that mandated three feet of physical distance compared to six feet, as long as everyone wore masks.

At times when it’s not possible to accommodate masks, like when eating, the CDC recommends maintaining six feet of distance. The agency also recommends keeping six feet of distance in common areas, like lobbies and auditoriums, and during activities like choir, band, or sport practices. Ideally, these kinds of activities should take place outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.

Layout changes in classrooms, like removing nonessential furniture and facing desks in the same direction, can help maximize distance between students. On school buses, the agency recommends seating students one child per row, skipping rows and opening windows to increase ventilation.